7 Thanksgiving Blunders to Avoid

Get quick tips for surviving common food mishaps

Most Read

Amid all of the holiday hubbub, things don't always go as planned in the kitchen. But it's no use crying over soggy stuffing (or a dropped pumpkin pie), especially when there's an easy fix. Tanya Zeyck and John and Marina Bear, coauthors of How to Repair Food, give their tips for patching up Thanksgiving dinner slip-ups.

"The gravy is too thin." Mix together 2 tsp cornstarch and 2 tsp cold chicken broth or water, or combine 1 Tbsp flour with 1 Tbsp room-temperature butter to form a paste. Whisk either combination into the warm gravy and simmer until the gravy thickens. If the gravy then becomes too thick, whisk in warm chicken or turkey broth (1 Tbsp at a time).

"It's Thanksgiving Day and my turkey is still frozen." Place the bird in the sink (or the tub) and fill with cold water. Change water every 30 minutes—it will take 30 minutes per pound to thaw.

"I've carved the turkey, but it has cooled and dried out." Just before bringing the platter of turkey to the table, sprinkle the meat with a little hot chicken broth. This will both warm and moisten the meat. Also, make sure the gravy is piping hot.

"I don't have enough pan drippings for gravy." You've kept the turkey neck, right? Pop it in a roasting pan, toss it with 1 Tbsp oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast at 400°F until brown, about 20 minutes. Place the pan on a burner, add 1 cup broth and bring to a boil. Add this concentrated stock to the pan drippings you already have.

"I've got more guests than I was counting on." Buy a boneless turkey breast ahead of time, just in case. It roasts up in about 45 minutes. Slice and add it to the platter with the rest of the turkey.

"The stuffing is too soggy." If you've stuffed your turkey, the stuffing can end up very moist, even wet. If this is the case, transfer the stuffing to a baking dish and bake, uncovered, at 375°F for 15 minutes.

"I dropped the pumpkin pie." If you were lucky enough that some of the pie remained in the dish, scoop that filling into parfait dishes and layer with whipped cream and crushed cookie crumbs, such as gingersnaps.